Climbed around the mountain a bit with a college friend. Apparently the park closes at 8pm so I got picked up by a park ranger and got hauled back to my car without my friend. I quickly found him running the road toward me, though. Hit the top again on February 15, 2010 with my wife on our return from the Catskills.

I left my hotel in Philly at 3:45 in the morning. The area was experiencing a record breaking (for April) nor'easter but it only took me 3 hours to get to Highpoint State Park. The creeks and rivers along the way were flooded and swollen. I passed one car submerged up to it's windshield. I got there more than an hour before the gates to the park opened. Since the storm had subsided to a slight drizzle (but still very windy) I decided to hike in and out before the weather got worse again. Just before I reached the highpoint, it DID get worse again. Over the next 45 minutes, rain, sleet, hail and snow fell/blew on me and I hadn't brought a hat, umbrella, or raincoat. Still, since I likely was only going to be there once, I hiked out via the Appalachian Trail back to the highway. I got back to the car just as the ranger was unlocking the gates. I dried off over the next 3.5 hours in the rental car while driving back to the Philadelphia Airport.

I visited High Point during a business trip to CT. Thankfully, the park was open and I could drive up to the monument as I was suffering from the flu. It was a beautiful crisp, clear December morning, and I was the only one there. This is my 17th state highpoint.

The snow was fresh, deep and i wanted to try cross country skiing so played hookie from work and took some lessons, got rentals at the center, did the swamp loop then headed for the monument. What a beautiful day with crisp skies of blue against the snow.